<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">If my friends talk about me while I'm not around, I hear them say Sanki Ceyda. (It’s a wordplay on Sanki Atölye, “sanki” means “nearly” in Turkish)</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">I am currently working as a chef and content creator. If I hadn’t been doing that, I'd want to be a farmer.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">For my friends, my specialty is cooking, and for me, my specialty is designing food.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">If I haven't done it myself, I'm usually at a friend’s table. One of my favorite things is the food someone else prepares at home.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Unfortunately, it is not very pleasant to walk in the neighborhood. I will not be able to argue that it is very convenient to hike, as it has "hill" in the name. (“Tepe” means “hill” in Turkish) If I'm in a hurry, I like to walk from Ihlamur Pavilion, otherwise I like to walk from Maçka Park to Sanki Atölye.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">My recent vegan discovery in Istanbul: Ethique Bakery</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">I go to Lokanta Kru when I want to eat something vegan on the go, and to Grotesk when I want a quick chat.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">A flavor I searched for but couldn't find: a plant-based kumpir.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Only the gastronome vegan knows this shop: I don't know the vegan part, but I'm sure most people don't know about it except gastronomes: Prasini Papia.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the neighborhood, you can find me after midnight in the next door, Sail Loft.</li></ul>

Soli

We're following Ceyda in Gayrettepe. But first, we meet. We can hear someone whispering in our ear, "Sanki".

Ceyda Artun

Where is it? Beşiktaş, Vişnezade, Aktarlar Street No: 6Why here? One of the residents of the neighborhood where you can attend workshops while eating vegan toast. Plant-based cheese, gluten-free and fermentation workshops are just a few of them.&nbsp;From Gayrettepe we head towards Vişnezade. We are not in a hurry, so we follow Maçka Park, not Ihlamur Pavilion, and arrive at Sanki Atölye. Now Ceyda is talking from behind the counter.In my opinion, Istanbul is the first place for the application of trends, and plating methods emerging in the world cuisine, in Turkey. This is exactly the reason why I chose Istanbul as the location of the workshop, it is open to experience, and it carries that which is developing in Europe to the local.I've seen veganism fanaticized over time along strict lines, like supporting a team. While this was happening, I realized that sustainability was being overlooked, and the harms of packaged foods were being ignored.&nbsp;Sanki Atölye actually emerged from my personal need. When I found out I was allergic to milk and dairy products, the first thing I didn't want to let go of was toast with tomatoes and cheese. Sanki Atölye is a plant-based, completely animal-free kitchen.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2023/0/5/1674221867297.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Ceyda preparing plant-based sushi</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">The Vişnezade neighborhood is a very traditional, quiet neighborhood, inhabited by families. It's like the Workshop; In a detached 2-storey, tiny building. The building was actually the old coffeehouse of the neighborhood. It was a structure that the public complained about. It was an area where there was constant gambling and it was frequently raided by the police. Thanks to the workshop, it is now a more sterile and quiet dwelling that closes its door at night. There is no menu, something that indicates it is a restaurant or a very noticeable sign on our door. The reason is that it may be disappointing if a passerby sees toast on the menu and ends up with vegan toast. In a sense, this approach has unfortunately prevented the people of the neighborhood from understanding exactly what Sanki is. But those who are curious began to ask for soup in the winter months, although it was not on the menu. I guess that was the neighborhood's way of saying, "We want to support you, but we don't understand the food you make." We heard about this and added daily soups to the menu.I think we are one of those who have changed vegan nutrition and culture in Istanbul in recent years. It is now possible to find 1-2 vegan options on each menu. I am also excitedly waiting to see how Turkish cuisine, where animal products are abundant, will evolve into plant-based cuisine.&nbsp;

We tag along with Ceyda, to eat tomato toast without the cheeses we know and to chat. Shall we also attend the fermentation workshop before going back home? 

Sanki Atölye ile ilgili hikayeler